The city of K.C. is "funding a study of at least four potential sites" for a downtown ballpark for the Royals, according to a front-page piece by Steve Vockrodt of the K.C. STAR. A series of emails shows that City Manager Troy Schulte was "involved in funding studies of four sites within the downtown loop that might be suitable." Two of those sites, according to "slides prepared by the architecture firm HOK, are immediately adjacent" to Sprint Center. Another site is "several blocks of mostly undeveloped land and surface parking lots east of City Hall," and a fourth site would "involve several blocks of mostly surface parking lots." Schulte: "At this point it’s nothing more than hopes and dreams and discussions." Royals VP/Business Operations Kevin Uhlich said that he "had been contacted" about downtown ballpark proposals earlier this year. Uhlich added that the Royals are in a "lease with Jackson County, which owns the Truman Sports Complex, that runs through" '30. Uhlich: “We’re perfectly content where we are, we think it works well. Thirteen years from now, who knows what the situation is going to be? I can’t hold anybody back from doing what they’re doing on their side. We would listen.” Jackson County Exec Frank White said that the county "would be willing to listen to ideas." Vockrodt notes City Hall and the Royals "last discussed the possibility of relocating downtown more than 12 years ago." Potential obstacles "include parking and how to pay for it." Schulte said that "initial estimates" for a ballpark were north of $450M (K.C. STAR, 10/5).
